Gordon Brown is highest-earning MP outside of Parliament – but his office claims he doesn’t keep a penny

Former prime minister Gordon Brown did not earn a penny from the £1.37million he received for speeches and writing in the past year, his office has claimed.

The ex-Labour leader was revealed today as the highest-earning MP outside Parliament in 2012-13 by the Guardian.

But Mr Brown’s office said he did not personally receive any of the money himself, with around £600,000 – after costs for staffers and air fares – worth of funds going directly to charity or to fund charitable causes supported by him or his wife Sarah.

‘Mr Brown personally does not receive a penny from speeches or writings. He has thus no “second income” and does not benefit from “outside earnings”. All the fees from speeches and writings are not paid to him and all the money goes directly to charity or to fund charitable work by himself and his wife,’ a statement said.

‘Mr Brown’s only income is his salary as an MP, because he has also renounced the pension conventionally paid to all former prime ministers.’

The Guardian revealed through analysis of the Commons Register of Interests that 295 out of 650 MPs declared a total of £7million worth of outside income last year.

Twenty MPs made more money outside of their work in the Commons than their salary of £65,738, with Conservatives declaring £4.3million and Labour MPs £2.4million – although more than half was contributed by Mr Brown.

MPs are allowed to take on extra work as long as it is declared and does not involve lobbying Parliament.

Stephen Phillips, Tory MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, declared £740,000 from his work as a barrister, which he said helped him keep in touch with ‘real world’.